If you have read my previous post, Pre-wedding Guide | To-do list for Sisters (Jiemeis) 姐妹 from the wedding series, you probably know that Sisters (Jiemeis) 姐妹 may also double up as receptionists during the wedding banquet. For Xuan & Ye's wedding, we were tasked to decorate the reception table as well as the ROM venue which I will cover in another post.

As it is our first time being a Sister (Jiemei) 姐妹 for Si Ling, myself, Priscilla and Ebony with the exception of Li Bing, we haven't got a clue on how to decorate the wedding reception table!

Some of the challenges faced were that we didn't have the exact dimensions of the reception table which made it a little hard to visualize where and how to place the items. Aside from that, there wasn't a draft picture of the reception table with the table skirting in the color scheme that my cousin and cousin-in-law chose hence we had to visualize the color and texture mentally to decide on the colors of the decor items so that they will go together.

1) Couple's initials or name ﻿﻿﻿﻿ ﻿

﻿

﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿
By featuring the couple's initials, not only does it add a personal touch but it also help guests in identifying the right ballroom especially in venues that have ballrooms side by side.

Many years ago (I think I was about 7 or 8 years old), I attended my 表舅 distant uncle's wedding, of whom I haven't met prior to the wedding along with my Grandpa. Grandpa had to go to the toilet so he told me to go into the ballroom first to take a seat. Logically, I walked into the nearest ballroom from the toilet and shoke hands with the bridegroom and I even exclaimed, "Congratulations 表舅!" The bridegroom was like, "Oh thank you for coming, do eat more and enjoy the rest of the night!" I was at the table for a while and I didn't see Grandpa so I got worried and went out to look for Grandpa. Guess what? Turns out that I was at the wrong ballroom and I identified a stranger as my distant Uncle! So embarassing can?

Hashtag Your Wedding

Chinese names consists of the family name, followed by the given name which usually consists of 2 characters. Instead of just featuring the second Chinese character of Jia Ye and Li Xuan's names, Xuan and Ye, we decided to make it a little bit more social by making it into a hashtag since we all live in an age of social media and are heavy users of social media like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Hence, we came up with #xuan_ye since Instagram doesn't recognise the symbol '&' and this will result is breaking the hashtag.

You could also handcraft labels that says, 'share the love, spread the joy #xuan_ye' along with icons of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

2) Stream the photos uploaded by your guests with the designated hashtag 'live' at the wedding lunch or dinner using live steam tools.

3) Easily review pictures taken by your guests at your wedding within a few clicks.

Be sure to check if the hashtag that you have decided on is available for use, meaning no one else has used it previously for other purposes. The hashtag should also be as unique as possible which no one else would want to use for other events.

2) Candy Bar

Wedding Candy Bar if done right not just trigger your guests' tastebuds but also appeal to them visually as it blends into your wedding decor. What's more, it keeps your guests entertained on top of the usual cocktails and canapes served before dinner.

Creating a Candy Bar isn't simply getting a few bags of random candy. Some of the questions that you should be asking yourself are -

1) Who makes up the majority of your guests?

The demographic of your guests determines the candy flavours and type of candies that you should go for.

2) When to get it?

If you are using a candy bar buffet company/provider, my guess is that you will have to book them weeks or months in advance to make sure that they are able to cater to you on your wedding day.

But if you are going for a DIY candy bar like we did, I think its fine as long as you get the candy at least one week before the wedding as I'm sure you wouldn't want to be fussing over such stuffs at the every last minute.

3) What color scheme to go for?

For most couples, the first color that comes to mind is white as it symbolises innocence, perfection, the good, honesty and the beginning which is not wrong but I suggest injecting some colors to liven up the mood. Afterall, a little colors won't kill right? ;)

We decided on having the candies in varying hues of red which includes pink.

4) Which flavour(s)?

The flavour of the candies largely depends on the color scheme chosen, unless they are packaged sweets.

5) Where to get the candy and where to place it?

If you are not using a candy bar buffet company/provider, you need to know where to get the candies. For instance, we had pink and red colored jelly beans from Jelly Belly (yes pink and red colored ones together in a packet) and heart-shaped marshmallows that are not available in regular supermarkets but rather in places like Candy Empire and Phoon Huat respectively. Hence, it is important to source where to get the candies so that you won't have to fumble at the last minute.

The next question in line would be - where to place the candy bar at the wedding reception? You want your guests to enjoy the candy bar so it should be placed at a visible spot and somewhere where guests are likely to gather. Eg. Near the cocktail tables or reception table.

3) Ang Pow Box (Red Packet Box)

For Chinese weddings, angpows (red packets - a monetary gift) is given to the newlyweds by guests as a form of blessing.

In the past, the grooms used to collect the red packets and keep them in his jacket's pocket. For convenience, an Ang Pow box (Red Packet box) is used now and usually the Sisters or Brothers safeguards it while doubling up as the receptionist at the wedding reception table.

For many Chinese couples, the Ang Pow box (Red Packet box) is an integral part of the wedding. In recent years, more emphasis have been placed on this must-have item, commonly placed at the reception table of the wedding reception. Although most hotels do provide ang pow box (Red Packet box) in the banquet package but the trend now is such that more and more couples are starting to source for their Ang Pow box (Red Packet box) from wedding specialty stores to be different from the norm or better yet, DIY their own Ang Pow box!

When Li Xuan tasked us the Sisters (Jiemeis) 姐妹 to DIY an Ang Pow box for her wedding, we began by googling for ideas. My Aunt happened to chance upon a picture of a Wedding Gown and Suit Ang Pow box which all of us thought to be a good conversation starter. Thus, Aunt and Mommy began to work on it. If I never remember wrongly, I think it took them about 2 days on and off to complete it minus shopping for materials.

4) Guestbook﻿﻿﻿

﻿Touted as the most traditional way to document blessings from your guests which you can keep for memory's sake, a guestbook is an absolute must-have for your wedding!

For a customized touch, source for unique guestbook instead of using the one that the hotel provide.

5) Photo album and Photo Gallery

A wedding reception won't be complete without photos of the happy couple. Play it up by including casual photos when you guys first met, during courtship and of course pre-wedding shoots and wedding album.

Hope you found these ideas useful. Do share with me pictures of your wedding reception table decoration or any ideas you have for wedding reception decoration!

Meanwhile, do take care and drink plenty of water and try to stay indoors as much as possible as the haze is here again in Singapore. Did I mention how much a fan I am of the latest Korean drama hit, My Love from the Star 별에서 온 그대 (來自星星的你)? Love how effortlessly pretty Jeon Ji Hyun (Cheong Song Yi) is! Super tempted to get the YSL lipstick that she worn in My Love from the Star!